A health reform advocate blasted health professionals spreading misinformation about coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines.
"With prioritized funding and resources, and trials running in parallel, the COVID-19 vaccines went through the same clinical development as all other new vaccines, although in a much shorter time frame due to the exigencies of the pandemic," Dr. Tony Leachon, chairperson of Kilusang Kontra COVID (KILKOVID) said in a statement.
Leachon reiterated that vaccines went through "extensive testings" before they are approved or authorized for emergency use by the United States Food and Drug Administration and introduced to the public.
He noted that "very rarely" does someone have a severe reaction to the vaccine, adding that the most common side effects after getting COVID-19 shots are fevers, chills, tiredness, nausea, or headaches which typically last one to two days.
"The overall benefits of vaccines to health and its functions to ease and end the pandemic far outweigh the minimal risks," Leachon said, reacting to the viral radio interview of Dr. Romeo Quijano.
In the interview, Quijano claimed that COVID-19 vaccines are "more dangerous" than the virus itself.
"It is reckless and morally irresponsible for Dr. Romeo Quijano and this group of doctors to make sweeping and baseless statements against COVID vaccines at a time when we are all promoting and fast-tracking vaccination efforts to achieve herd immunity to reopen the economy and bring back our lives to normalcy. Let's condemn misinformation and fake news," Leachon said.
On Friday, Aug. 13, the Food and Drug Administration reported that less than one percent of Filipinos who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 experienced "breakthrough" infections.
READ MORE: Less than 1% of fully vaccinated Filipinos experienced 'breakthrough' COVID-19 infection — FDA